Overview

• An Interior Department contingency plan released late Tuesday keeps roads, trails and open‑air memorials accessible while closing staffed facilities and severely curtailing services.
• Parks that collect Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act fees will use them for basic functions like restroom sanitation, trash pickup, limited law enforcement and campground operations, though emergency services remain constrained.
• More than 60% of the National Park Service workforce is furloughed, compounding earlier staffing cuts, with park websites and social media largely unmaintained except for emergencies.
• Access is uneven as local leaders set closures and openings: Yosemite and other large California parks stayed largely accessible, while parts of Golden Gate NRA closed including Muir Woods, and Alcatraz paused Wednesday before reopening Thursday.
• Advocates cite resource damage during the 2018–2019 shutdown and a GAO finding that Interior’s past use of recreation fees violated federal law, as states like Utah signal support to keep marquee parks operating with reduced services.